Working with the Drop Cap

Working with the Drop Cap

Drop caps can be used to add interest to a document. In PageMaker, a drop cap can be applied only to the first character of a paragraph. Drop caps work best with longer paragraphs (generally at least 3-5 lines) but this varies on the specifics of your drop cap.

Applying a Drop Cap

To reduce the likelihood of needing to reapply a drop cap, it is best to make this a final step in the production of your document. If the text on the first few lines of the paragraph is edited after the drop cap is applied, the lines surrounding the drop cap will not be formatted correctly.

1. Optional: If desired, change the font of the first character of the paragraph. Note: It is recommended that you select the font for your drop cap before applying the drop cap. 2. With the text tool, place your insertion point within the paragraph. 3. From the Utilities menu, select Plug-ins » Drop cap… The Drop cap dialog box appears.

4. In the Size text box, type in how many lines the drop cap should extend into. 5. Optional: To change the next or previous paragraphs, in the Go to paragraph section, click Prev or Next. 6. Optional: To preview the drop cap while still in the dialog box, click Apply. Hint: In order to see the drop cap, you may need to move the Drop cap dialog box. 7. Click Ok. Or If you previously clicked Apply, click Close.

Removing a Drop Cap

If you decide that you do not want the drop cap, you can remove it through the Drop cap dialog box. If you try to simply delete the drop cap and retype the letter in regular text, the part of the drop cap and the space cleared for it below the line will not be removed.

1. With the text tool, place your insertion point within the paragraph with the drop cap. 2. From the Utilities menu, select Plug-ins » Drop cap… The Drop cap dialog box appears. 3. Click Remove. 4. Click Close.

Modifying a Drop Cap

If you decide that a different size would be better for the drop cap, you can modify the drop cap by removing and reapplying a drop cap through the Drop cap dialog box. If you decide that a different font would be better for the drop cap, you can modify the drop cap by changing the font, then resizing the window to correct the view.

Modifying a Drop Cap: Size

1. With the text tool, place your insertion point within the paragraph with the drop cap. 2. From the Utilities menu, select Plug-ins. 3. From the submenu, select Drop cap... The Drop cap dialog box appears. 4. Click Remove. 5. In the Size text box, type in how many lines the drop cap should extend into.